Her Shield
by piper maru duchovny
Summary: Emma confronts Regina about Cora. - potential spoilers, post winter finale. Swan Queen.


**I am currently doped up on all kinds of cold medicine so if there's any horrid and blatant mistakes, I sincerely apologize. **

**Dedicated to the beautiful, crazy, walking enigma Tory. There has to be a you for every girl like me, dearest. **

**Disclaimer: I quite obviously do not own them and seek to gain no profit from this endeavor. **

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****_I'll be the why to your because  
-Sugarland_

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Her arms are pinned by her head and the rough mine wall is scratching her back through the silk of her shirt as she struggles against the hold. Theoretically, she could throw the blond off her with the wae of her hand but it would be a waste of her magic and time – not to mention that she'd have to explain to Henry why his biological mother was injured. She let out a long, slow sigh and quirked an eyebrow at her captor. "Something I can help you with, Miss Swan?"

"You are not doing this, Regina." Emma's grip tightens on her wrists and the brunette rolls her eyes. "Look at me," she demands. "Look at me!" Regina's eyes drift up to find the piercing blue glaring at her. "You are not breaking your promise to Henry, do you hear me?"

"You've got him, Emma." She sinks slightly at the knowledge of defeat. "What I do is inconsequential at this point. You're his mother, the great savior of us all, and I am just the evil queen."

"You're his mother too!" The words knock the air out of Regina's chest; that's the first time Emma's acknowledged her role in Henry's life. "You're his mother too and, in spite of what he thinks, your actions matter to him. You use magic. You kill your mother. And you're just going to let him down and I won't watch you break his heart like that. He wants you to succeed, Regina!"

She recoils as Emma's hands loosen their grip. "He doesn't know what Cora is capable of."

"There are other ways than killing her, Madame Mayor."

"No," Regina breathes. "There isn't, Emma. Not in this world or any other for that matter. Because as long as she is alive she will come after me and take out anyone who stands in her way. She will kill Henry. She'll kill you. Anyone I've ever cared about won't stand a chance against her."

"Maybe they wouldn't have in the old world but you've got something she doesn't."

Regina's eyebrow rises impossibly high on her forehead as she slips from Emma's grasp to curl her arms protectively around herself. "And just what is that, sheriff?"

"Me and Henry," she replies. "People who care about you and know what Cora is capable of. We're not defenseless here."

"You can't stop her, Emma."

"I did," the blond counters. "In the other world, she stuck her hand inside my chest and couldn't pull my heart out." Emma's fingers gently curl around the arm Regina has wrapped around her middle, sliding her fingers down to find the hand, and she slowly places Regina's hand over her heart. "She couldn't pull my heart out, Regina."

The pointer finger of Regina's hand curls, traveling over Emma's breast bone as she battles a torrent of emotions. She blinks away tears as she feels Emma's heartbeat under the palm of her hand. "You survived."

"More than," Emma promises and reaches out to tuck a lock of hair behind the brunette's ear. "You aren't alone anymore, Regina, and I'm not going to let her hurt you or Henry."

"Promise," and Regina hates the way her voice cracks on the simple word. "Promise me, Emma, because I can't lose another person I love to her wrath."

"I promise," Emma swears. "Come here." The blond pulls her into a hug and it's the first in such a long time that she doesn't know what to do with her hands for a moment before settling them on Emma's hips. Hot tears fall silently and without permission as Emma rocks her comfortingly, a hand traveling between her shoulder blades. "You're safe here."

"I believe you," she breathes into Emma's ear.

"Good," the blond replies. "You need to promise me that you won't use your magic to kill her, okay? We will figure out another way to bring down Cora. Together."

Regina pulls back from the embrace to bring a hand to cup Emma's face, her thumb tracing over the apple of her cheek. Slowly, her eyes flitting between the blue eyes and rosy lips, she leans in and brushes her mouth over Emma's. Just as she pulls back, Emma draws her in to kiss her more fully; their limbs tangle and she once again collides with the rough wall of the mine with Emma's body pressing against hers. A soft gasp allows her entry when she flicks the tip of her tongue against Emma Swan's lower lip, her hands finding Emma's hips and her stance widening for the blond to stand in the space between her legs. Emma, never one to pass a golden opportunity up, sinks into the new space and brings her hands down to find purchase on the back of her thighs, lifting and pushing into her all at once – as if she can cover the mayor's body with her own, absorb her hurt and shield her from any pains to come. With all the strength she can muster, Regina pulls back slightly to mumble against Emma's lips, "I promise."


End file.
